


hot and cold

by chuwaeyo



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Childhood Friends, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, M/M, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-06-14
Packaged: 2020-05-12 00:51:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19218265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chuwaeyo/pseuds/chuwaeyo
Summary: Anonymous asked: Well it’s me again could do a Natasha romanoff soulmate hcs or one shot whichever one you’re comfortable doingPairing: Natasha Romanov x Reader; Steve Rogers x Bucky Barnes; can u guess which Tony ship(s) lolPrompt: using the: “the closer you are to your soulmate the warmer you feel, the further you are, the colder. Basically finding your soulmate is one big game of hot and cold.” au





	hot and cold

**Author's Note:**

> a/n: slight modern college au, just a bunch of dumb kids destined to change the world in other ways || over 1.5k of waiting for a warmth you’re not sure you’re going to ever get
> 
> was kind of wary about posting to ao3 again since some works have been stolen and posted to wattpad (if y'all see anything of mine on a site that's not here or tumblr pls let me know!)  
> as always hope you have a good one, enjoy, and maybe comment down below! until next time!

You were barely 18 when the cold rushed over you for the first time.

It was a warm summer night surrounded by your friends when it came flooding - the chill that left your soul absolutely frozen even though you were so full of love and happiness with your friends.

_“They’re so far.”_

The bonfire went quiet when they realized the suddenly forlorn look on your face, the appearance of a soul bond that was farther than most of them could even imagine. They had all felt warm when their soulmate appeared, a few were even lucky enough to be overcome with a fire in their hearts at the birthday parties of their best friends, all the shock and surprise out the window when their skin burned and they pulled each other into a hungry kiss.

And that’s what you expected for your own experience, it’s what most people did.

So how could you ever prepare yourself for such a chilling feeling?

“How cold are you?”

Steve was the first one to say anything, his voice low and steady, having felt the same chilling feeling the day his best friend, Bucky, turned 18, not knowing when they would ever be back in the same city after he moved to Russia with his family at the start of high school and barely kept in contact. How could he even think of entertaining the possibility that it was really him?

A tired laugh escaped your lips as your fingertips edged closer to the fire, hoping it would do something to lessen the chill you felt.

_“I feel like a fucking iceberg.”_

“Guess we’re in the same boat for the soulmate department.” He wrapped an arm around your shoulder and laughed, trying to distract you from the cold the best way he knew how to, “Harvard won’t be able to handle us and our soulmates if they decide to go to school nearby too.”

“I don’t even want to think of what trouble you’ll get up to, please don’t bring our soulmates into the equation too, Rogers.” You leaned into the embrace with a quiet laugh, thankful for the low warmth it helped return to you, resigning yourself with a small grin. “Now, enough moping - I thought tonight was our last big celebration together before we all leave for college?”

Worried as they all were, Tony knew better than to keep prodding, grabbing the attention of the rest of your friends by clapping his hands together so you could stay huddled next to Steve quietly, “I brought fireworks! Or at least…they give the illusion of fireworks - all the joy and fun without the risk of the fields catching fire! Rhodey helped me perfect them!”

_And as warm as that Summer night was - from the heat of the fire, the laughter, the hugs, and tears when you said goodbye - you don’t think you could ever forget the cold that came with it._

The next time you felt that soul-chilling shiver, you were moving into your apartment in Cambridge for college with Steve, Tony, and Rhodey, a large unit that had enough space for the four of you - a gift from the Stark’s for the four of you attending Harvard and MIT (or maybe as an apology for another four years with Tony).

Your soul didn’t feel quite as cold as it did at home, and you wondered if your soulmate would be moving closer, or if it was because you were happy to be living with your friends for your college years.

And even though you were closer than home, you weren’t as lucky as Steve, the cold melting from his soul as soon as August came around and international students began to move into the college area before school started in September.

It was 12 hours before Bucky arrived at the airport that the cold started to fade for him, and one call later, one car ride later, and one teary-eyed reunion later, Steve looked like his heart was about to burst.

_You wish you could be so lucky._

For the wait and longing to be over.

After the four of you helped Bucky move into his school housing with other international students and said your goodbyes for the night, you went with Steve for one of his nightly walks after he offered to do your dishes for the next week.

“How did it feel? After being so cold?” You waited until you were ten minutes out of your apartment before saying anything, not wanting to mention it with the others, not wanting to be the only person whose soulmate left them so cold, who longed to understand the same warmth they had.

Steve laughed and threw his arm around your shoulder, wondering why he always ignored your encouragement to tell Bucky how he felt when you were younger. “He just - he felt like home. You know when he would always stay the night and my ma would tell us stories around the fireplace until it was time for bed? Just love.”

“Does this mean I can say I told you so?” And despite the longing you felt for your own soulmate, you were glad to see the fruition of a lifetime of your friends pining for each other.

“Yeah, I guess you can.” He bent his head just enough for you to ruffle his hair and laugh, happy to see a smile on your face, “you know…what if Bucky knew your soulmate? It has to be the same distance if we both felt the same back home and here.”

The look on his face was genuine, but you didn’t want to get your hopes up, not with the odds of that being the case almost impossible.

“That would be ridiculous and you know that.” You did your best to flash him one last smile before freeing yourself from his embrace, “now can we forget about this and get some dessert? Tony and Rhodey are binge-watching the Office without me, and I need some compensation for missed laughs.”

Knowing you were tired of his worrying, he flashed a smile and messed up your hair in return, retiring the topic of soulmates for as long as you wanted, “ice cream, cake, or that gelato place Tony’s too lazy to wait in line for?”

And as your first year of college eventually came to an end, you learned to ignore the chill that followed you wherever you went, thankful for the distractions of studying, your friends constantly bothering you, parties, and the alcohol that always came with them.

Your cheeks were still warm when you waved goodbye to the semi-blurry figures you assumed were your friends, one last rager to celebrate the end of your second year before you moved back home for the Summer with your boys.

“What time do you think it is, young lady!?” You barely opened the door when Steve’s voice came booming through the halls, the lights of the living room turning on dramatically (by Rhodey), “we have a guest coming soon, remember?”

Tony rolled his eyes and greeted you with a smile and a glass of water, “lover boy’s friend from back home? She’s attending MIT next year and is staying the Summer at Rogers’ place with Bucky?”

“I knew that.” The water in your hand was quickly chugged before handing it back to Tony and making your way to sit next to Steve on the couch, “I came back pretty early, I totally remembered.”

“Yeah, but you also drunk more than your usual two-hour party limit.” Rhodey mirrored Steve’s slightly mad, crossed arms look on the other end of the couch, ready for a lecture. “Pepper sent me a snap of you drinking a whole wine bag and then icing yourself.”

You leaned into the cushions and groaned, “guys, I’m already on the comedown, I’ve been throwing back bottles water and Gatorade since Scott took too many hits and started talking about riding giant ants 30 minutes into the party. I’m basically sober at this point.”

And before anyone could bother to question (or scold) you further, Bucky came through the door carrying two duffles in one hand, and his spare keys in the other, “I didn’t think we’d be getting a full house greeting this late, but everyone, this is Natasha! She gave me absolute hell my first week at that horrible boarding school.”

“Stop telling people I was giving you hell when you were just afraid of my resting bitch face.” And maybe you weren’t as sober as you thought you were, because when she walked in, every intelligent thought went out the window when you saw her roll her eyes and laugh.

And the warmth you felt from all the alcohol was traded for something you never thought you would feel-

_She felt like everything you were waiting for._

“- is our local drunkard for the night, please excuse them if they’re too drunk to respond.” Tony snickered before turning to see the confusion on your face, “case in point.”

But Natasha didn’t laugh along with the others, smiling as she felt the same warmth that’s been keeping you warm all night, “I don’t think they’re not responding because they’re drunk…but if it is, it’s nice to finally meet you, soulmate.”

_“They always told me alcohol could give the same warmth a soulmate could, but I think they just didn’t find the right one yet.”_

Everyone was speechless as they realized that Natasha was the one that you’ve been waiting for since that first Summer night when you were frozen to your core.

When you weren’t sure if you could ever feel anything warmer than the liquor you drank to mask the cold.

She felt like that Summer night and all the love you had for your friends all wrapped up in one person. And maybe it wasn’t the same feeling as Steve and those nights around the fireplace, or Tony and Rhodey with all the times they spent trying to extinguish the small lab fires from Tony’s experiments, but it’s one that you’ll never love more.


End file.
